Coping with Tragedy: Aish.com Ebook

A free, 24-page ebook tackling one of life's toughest challenges.

How do we cope with tragedy and death? How do we protect our children from terror when it strikes? What does Judaism have to say about one of life's most difficult questions: Why do bad things happen to good people?

This thought-provoking, wise ebook, which includes Aish.com articles written by Rabbi Benjamin Blech, Rebbetzin Feige Twerski and Nechemia Coopersmith among others, will challenge your mind, deepen your heart and provide comforting advice. Download it now, share it with your family and friends, and take it with you to synagogue.

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The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 3

(1)
Jeffrey Bart,
December 23, 2012 8:09 PM

Sandy Hook tragedy

The Sandy Hook School tragedy was one of the worst attacks in United States history and around the world,
What can we learn from this? Especially children who were gunned down on that tragic day.
For those with mental illnesses, we need to address the causes from these diseases and prevent one from causing another attack on others.
Furthermore, on the verge of another terrorist attack at any time, we need to keep our defense powerful, both in the US and Israel and NOT cut our millitary. Our military and defense is vital to either country to track terrorism and take action to minimize any risk of future attacks, similar to 9/11, the Holocost, or what happaned in Spain on 3/11/04 or London on 7/7/05.

ladydi,
December 24, 2012 3:43 PM

The attack in Manhattan on 9/11 was the worst tragedy on American soil, second is Sandy Hook. The 9/11 terrorists were punishing the USA for all our dirty deeds overseas, whereas the Sandy Hook slaughter was done by a sick coward to innocent babies and teachers for no reason except mental illness.

Anonymous,
December 25, 2012 1:43 PM

The 9/11 terrorists were also cowards.

The 9/11 terrorists were also cowards and evil. There is never an excuse for any evil.

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Since honey is produced by bees, and bees are not a kosher species, how can honey be kosher?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Talmud (Bechoros 7b) asks your very question! The Talmud bases this question on the principle that “whatever comes from a non-kosher species is non-kosher, and that which comes from something kosher is kosher.”

So why is bee-honey kosher? Because even though bees bring the nectar into their bodies, the resultant honey is not a 'product' of their bodies. It is stored and broken down in their bodies, but not produced there. (see Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 81:8)

By the way, the Torah (in several places such as Exodus 13:5) praises the Land of Israel as "flowing with milk and honey." But it may surprise you to know that the honey mentioned in the verse is actually referring to date and fig honey (see Rashi there)!

In 1809, a group of 70 disciples of the great Lithuanian sage the Vilna Gaon, arrived in Israel, after traveling via Turkey by horse and wagon. The Vilna Gaon set out for the Holy Land in 1783, but for unknown reasons did not attain his goal. However he inspired his disciples to make the move, and they became pioneers of modern settlement in Israel. (A large contingent of chassidic Jews arrived in Tzfat around the same time.) The leader of the 1809 group, Rabbi Israel of Shklov, settled in Tzfat, and six years later moved to Jerusalem where he founded the modern Ashkenazic community. The early years were fraught with Arab attacks, earthquakes, and a cholera epidemic. Rabbi Israel authored, Pe'at Hashulchan, a digest of the Jewish agricultural laws relating to the Land of Israel. (He had to rewrite the book after the first manuscript was destroyed in a fire.) The location of his grave remained unknown until it was discovered in Tiberias, 125 years after his death. Today, the descendants of that original group are amongst the most prominent families in Jerusalem.

When you experience joy, you feel good because your magnificent brain produces hormones called endorphins. These self-produced chemicals give you happy and joyful feelings.

Research on these biochemicals has proven that the brain-produced hormones enter your blood stream even if you just act joyful, not only when you really are happy. Although the joyful experience is totally imaginary and you know that it didn’t actually happen, when you speak and act as if that imaginary experience did happen, you get a dose of endorphins.

These chemicals are naturally produced by your brain. They are totally free and entirely healthy.

Many people find that this knowledge inspires them to create more joyful moments. It’s not just an abstract idea, but a physical reality.

Occasionally, when I walk into an office, the receptionist greets me rudely. Granted, I came to see someone else, and a receptionist's disposition is immaterial to me. Yet, an unpleasant reception may cast a pall.

A smile costs nothing. Greeting someone with a smile even when one does not feel like smiling is not duplicity. It is simply providing a pleasant atmosphere, such as we might do with flowers or attractive pictures.

As a rule, "How are you?" is not a question to which we expect an answer. However, when someone with whom I have some kind of relationship poses this question, I may respond, "Not all that great. Would you like to listen?" We may then spend a few minutes, in which I unburden myself and invariably begin to feel better. This favor is usually reciprocated, and we are both thus beneficiaries of free psychotherapy.

This, too, complies with the Talmudic requirement to greet a person in a pleasant manner. An exchange of feelings that can alleviate someone's emotional stress is even more pleasant than an exchange of smiles.

It takes so little effort to be a real mentsch.

Today I shall...

try to greet everyone in a pleasant manner, and where appropriate offer a listening ear.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...